The present invention relates generally to welding cable management systems and, more particularly, to a system for supporting and storing a welding-type cable and welding-type gun in an elevated position.
Welding-type systems, such as welders, plasma cutters, and induction heaters, typically include a gun or torch that is tethered to a power supply through a cable. In many cases, the cable is designed to span many feet to enable an operator to move the gun or torch to a variety of work areas without needing to move the power supply. While a lengthy cable is often included to provide an operator with a large amount of latitude, an overly lengthy cable can hinder mobility. That is, during operation, the slack cable rests about the area where the operator is located and can present an obstacle to mobility. Furthermore, the cable often serves as an impediment to easy storage and transportation of the welding-type device.
Accordingly, a variety of cable management systems have been developed for welding-type systems. The cable management systems are typically mounted to the housing of the welding-type device, a cart supporting the welding-type device, or similar structure. These cable management systems generally include a support structure from which to hang the cable when the welding-type device is in storage or being transported. Similarly, the support structure serves as a storage area for excess lengths of cable during use of the welding-type device. In addition to a cable support structure, some cable management systems include a gun or torch storage area that is also mounted to a welding-type device or surrounding structure. Accordingly, the gun or torch is protected from accidental damage when the welding-type device is not in use.
Unfortunately, even when these cable and/or torch storage and management systems are included, in operation, they often go unused. Operators often forego the process of storing the cable and torch after each use. Even more likely, operators fail to use these cable management systems during operation of the welding-type device.
In addition, even when these cable management systems are used, they have the potential to cause damage to the cable. As addressed above, most cable support structures are mounted to the housing of the welding-type device or surrounding structures, such as carts or gas bottles. Due to the location and specific configuration of the cable support structures, for example, a reel or set of pegs or hooks, the cables must be wrapped in a relatively small coil. The stress placed on the cable when being wrapped in a small coil, increases the risk that the liner of the cable will become kinked with respect to the conductive, gas flow paths, and/or feed ability of the wire located therein. Over time, these stresses can even cause premature wear on the cable. Accordingly, even when these cable management systems are properly used by operators to protect the cable and gun or torch from accidental damage, the cable management systems have the potential to induce premature failure of the cable.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a system and method for managing the cables of a welding-type system that encourages consistent operator use and does not unduly stress or strain the cable during storage.